Entry-level Data Scientist salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 513 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Menlo Park, Fremont, San Bruno, San Mateo, Foster City.
Also listed as: Machine Learning Scientist
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $98,155 |
| 25th | $103,522 |
| 50th (median) | $115,000 |
| 75th | $139,270 |
| 90th | $180,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $87,200 | $81,931 | $105,000 | 33 |
| FY2021 | $85,000 | $71,000 | $103,771 | 41 |
| FY2022 | $99,486 | $72,696 | $114,000 | 74 |
| FY2023 | $103,958 | $99,486 | $120,000 | 193 |
| FY2024 | $95,000 | $81,536 | $110,000 | 194 |
| FY2025 | $106,500 | $98,155 | $120,000 | 240 |
| FY2026 | $128,898 | $104,000 | $174,304 | 273 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level Data Scientist salary of $115,000 is worth about $99,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Data Scientists in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $170,110 in May 2025 (10,460 employed). The H-1B median here is $115,000, 32% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $143,276 | 107 |
| DoorDash | $149,954 | 10 |
| Lyft | too few | 9 |
| Epik Solutions | too few | 8 |
| Amazon | too few | 7 |
| Adobe | too few | 7 |
| Boston Consulting Group | too few | 7 |
| Tesla | too few | 7 |
| Tredence | too few | 6 |
| Insight Global | too few | 5 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $115,000 | 513 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $150,000 | 1,174 |
| Senior · Level III | $178,651 | 907 |
| Expert · Level IV | $214,061 | 850 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $103,522 | $115,000 | 513 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $128,398 | $150,000 | 1,174 |
| Senior · Level III | $164,403 | $178,651 | 907 |
| Expert · Level IV | $194,834 | $214,061 | 850 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.